People love to fantasize about how glamorous the fashion industry is. They like to think it’s all about designing and wearing beautiful clothes, sipping champagne and living a posh life.

Anyone who harbors such notions would have had them dispelled if they had seen Fallene Wells[2] 24 hours before her solo show last week at Walker Fine Art Gallery[3]. Still working on a few pieces at the Denver Design Incubator[4] Thursday afternoon, she was wearing a cotton dress, canvas flats and the world-weary visage of a woman who had spend too many hours at the sewing machine. Her red hair was tousled, her eyes a little tired.

For months she had been preparing for her first solo fashion show, and like many up-and-coming designers, she did most everything by herself. Wells had samples professionally sewn, but it was up to her and helpers to make additional garments to show and get ready for sale in the pop-up boutique that accompanied the show. Models, venues, props, lighting, backdrops, guest lists, photo shoots, promotions and marketing all took every minute she could muster. Hair and makeup were a slam dunk given her full time job as a hairdresser at Voila, but still needed consideration and time.

Poring over the clothes as she previewed the dozen-piece collection for me, Wells brightened up as she talked about what inspired her. “I love the whole 1930s newsboy-Charlie Chaplin, slouchy feel,” she said, holding up a succession of garments that included a pair of knickers, pleated skirts, pinstriped pants with side buttons, trim vests and blouses with sweet rounded collars and bow ties. She also relishes the details dressmakers lavished on clothes in that eras — knife pleats and contrast linings, textured fabrics, fur trims.

She also confessed that the designs had changed from her original intentions. After getting feedback from women with a variety of body types, she realized certain looks would fit and flatter only those with boyish figures, so she made adjustments. “I’m trying to think more about shapes and what will work,” she said.

Wells said it amazed her how fast her $20,000 in Kickstarter funds flew – fabrics, pattern making, samples, models, photos, show expenses. And it’s no longer a wonder to her that a full-scale New York show can cost 10 times that figure.

In the process she found a company to sew her designs in the future and that came as a big relief because she knew there was no way she could continue to make things herself.

The evening of the show at Bobbi Walker’s gallery in the Golden Triangle, Wells was once again her perky self, greeting more than 100 guests, visiting with fellow designers who brought their wares to the pop-up store, Swank, that accompanied the show, and encouraging the audience to party and enjoy the evening.

The models stepped onto platforms that looked like hat boxes and with exaggerated poses, showed off their skirts and blouses, vests and coats. They exchanged outer garments with each other to show the versatility of the clothes, and preened for the audience. Accessories included vintage-inspired hats by Kitty Mae Millinery.

Among those watching was Brandi Shigley, who has supported designers through Fashion Denver for a number of years. “With this show, Fallene has upped the ante for other up-and-coming designers,” she said. “Everything is beautifully done.”

And it wasn’t a typo on the wall behind the models announcing the collection as Fall 2013 — Wells says this is her collection that will be in stores a year from now.